Guns and Snowshoes; Or, the Winter Outing of the Young Hunters Part 20

"I know what I am going to do to-day," said Giant, on the following morning. "I am going fis.h.i.+ng through a hole in the ice. I am just hungry for a bit of fresh fish for breakfast."

"I want to fish myself," answered Whopper. "If you don't mind, I'll go with you."

Snap beckoned his chums to the outside of the shelter. The tramp still lay on his couch but was awake.

"Let us take turns at fis.h.i.+ng," said the leader of the Gun Club, in a low tone. "Two can fish and two watch the tramp,--until he clears out."

"Let us give him a hint that he is not wanted here," suggested Shep.

"Will you give him the hint?" asked Giant.

"Certainly--I am not afraid."

They prepared breakfast, and when they were ready to sit down and eat the tramp arose and stretched himself lazily.

"That smell good," he said. "Reckon you've got some for me, eh?"

"Yes, you can have your share," answered Shep. "After breakfast we'll give you some lunch in a paper bag and then you can be on your way."

"What, going to throw me out in such weather as this?" cried the man, reproachfully.

"The weather is all right to-day," put in Snap.

"My back hurts a good deal."

"I guess you are able to walk. We'll give you plenty of lunch, so you won't starve."

"It's hard lines on a fellow who hasn't a cent to his name," whined the tramp. His manhood had evidently deserted him completely.

The young hunters looked at each other questioningly. They did not want to be hard on anybody who was in distress. Snap put his hand in his pocket.

"I'll give you a quarter," he said, and pa.s.sed over the silver coin.

"So will I," added Shep. And then Giant and Whopper also handed over twenty-five cents each, making a dollar in all.

"Much obliged," said Kiddy Leech, pocketing the silver with satisfaction. "But if you don't mind, I won't start out until about noon time. By then I reckon my back will I feel better."

"Very well, make it noon then," said Snap. Giant and Whopper were soon down on the ice. They took with them their fis.h.i.+ng outfits and an axe.

"I've got an idea we'll find pretty good fis.h.i.+ng around yonder bend of the sh.o.r.e," said Giant, pointing with his hand.

Reaching a spot that looked favorable to them, they threw down their fis.h.i.+ng outfits and began to cut two holes in the ice, about fifty feet apart. Cutting the ice was no light task, and they took turns until they had each hole about a foot in diameter.

"Now then to bait up," said Giant.

He had prepared himself for this by cutting out certain portions of the deer meat and small patches of the skin. He soon had his line in trim for use, and with the aid of a light sinker allowed it to sink close to the bottom of the lake.

Whopper was using some bait brought from home, something Jed Sanborn had said might be effective in luring the finny tribe. The two boys stood by the holes patiently, waiting for a bite.

Fully five minutes pa.s.sed and Giant felt a small nibble. He pulled the bait around a bit and then felt a sudden tug. Up came his line with a rush, and out on the ice flopped a pickerel of fair size.

"Hurrah! first haul!" sang out the small member of the Gun Club, proudly. "Who says we can't catch something?"

After that came another spell of silence and then Whopper gave a yank on his line. Up came a good sized fish, but as it fell on the ice it broke loose from the hook and flopped back into the water with a splash that covered Whopper with the icy drops.

"Oh, hang the luck!" gasped Whopper. "He got away and gave me a shower bath in the bargain."

"Wish I could get a maskalonge," said Giant. "Do you remember the big one I caught last summer?"

"Indeed I do," answered Whopper. "And I remember how the fish pulled you overboard and nearly drowned you."

They continued to fish and presently Whopper got another bite and brought up a good-sized pickerel, of a variety that is known to many as a lake trout. Then both boys got a second and a third bite, and inside of an hour had a fair mess of fish to their credit.

In the meantime Snap and Shep remained near the shelter, fixing up a number of things. Shep made a fresh batch of bread dough and also prepared a pot of beans and baked a plain cake. He likewise tried his hand at an apple pie, but the crust was not right, and later on, when the pie was tested, Whopper said the "lid" might do for a s.h.i.+ngle but not for eating. The cake, however, turned out well, and all of the young hunters praised it.

As Snap and Shep moved around, in and out of the shelter, Kiddy Leech watched them closely, although without letting them see it. The tramp had on his ragged overcoat and, when he got the chance, he put a number of things into the pockets on the sly.

Suddenly from the lake there came a loud shouting, and Snap and Shep ran out to see what was the matter.

"Maybe Giant and Whopper are in trouble," said the doctor's son.

They ran out on the ice and then around the bend, to find those who had been fis.h.i.+ng running toward them.

"We just saw some big game," panted Giant. "Get the rifle and the shotguns!"

"What game?" queried Snap.

"At least a dozen deer, big ones," answered Whopper. "Oh, hurry. We'll never get such a chance again!"

"Did you really see a dozen?" asked Shep.

"I saw five or six," answered Giant.

"I saw more than that--right across the lake," came from Whopper.

"Hurry up!"

With such game so close at hand the four boy hunters were in a fever of excitement. All rushed to the shelter and got their firearms, Whopper and Giant throwing their fish and lines in a heap on the floor. For the time being the tramp was practically forgotten.

"Where are you going?" he shouted after them.

"After some deer. We'll soon be back," answered Snap.

At that moment Shep sighted one of the deer--directly on the opposite sh.o.r.e of the lake. But as soon as the game was seen it disappeared from view.

"They are there, sure enough," exclaimed the doctor's son.

"Shall we go back for our skates?" asked Snap.

"No, there isn't time."